An ode to a wandering cat It’s a mystery to me
where he spends his day
stopping in for breakfast
then on his merry way

I'll have sunshine and starlight
Great gusts of wind a-blowin'
A silently falling summer mist
My feet upon cool earth

Such vibrant colors -
the spring green of the willow
the clear blue sky
with bits of wispy clouds
the white daytime half-moon

Is it a coincidence?
I don’t think so
I could make a playlist
first your song
then two of his -
songs of remembrance

Some days feel as though
I’m lying in a mud-pit
the world is drab and dreary
there’s no getting out
the mud slimes all over

Photo by Jason Williard (1981-2016); used by permission.

Darkness? That's okay.
Joy? Revel in it.
Uncomfortable? Let it be.
The pain comes in the struggle to be other than we are at this moment.

If we respond with hate
to their spewing of hatred
we only multiply hatred
in the world

If we react in fear

Photo by Author

A giant fir tree
stands strong and fierce
trunk trailing skyward
in a straight line
grounded into earth
limbs flying in the wind
but trunk stands steady
I felt that way once

we can build walls
or we can build bridges
we can withhold
or we can surrender
we can step into the light
or we can hide in the darkness
each day carries choice

Photo by Kace Rodriguiz on Unsplash

How do I find me?
So much worry
trying to match up
to some invisible idea
of who I should be,
who others want
rather than
just.being.me.